Public Statements

Rescinding the $105 Billion Appropriated to ObamaCare

Op-Ed

The next battle we face is defunding ObamaCare. Recently I read startling information about the funding of ObamaCare presented by former Representative Ernest Istook of Oklahoma (now a Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation).

Representative Istook wrote, "Rather than respecting the right of future Congresses to decide on funding, ObamaCare's sponsors included several years' worth of current and future appropriations for the health care makeover -- money that mostly has not yet been spent."

Wait a minute. Does that mean the vote we just took in Congress on H.R. 1 to defund ObamaCare, doesn't actually starve the health care beast of its funding?

That is exactly what Istook is saying.

You see, it turns out Pelosi was right when she said, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Because now, months after passage, we are discovering an astonishing $105,464,000,000 has already been appropriated to the Health and Human Services Secretary for ObamaCare through FY2019.

When ObamaCare was passed, Democrats knew they would lose the gavel. But this funding ensures they will not lose their prized government takeover of health care because it's already well-funded.

The Congressional Research Service outlined the billions appropriated to ObamaCare in their report, "Appropriations and Fund transfers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)." Some of what's included:

* Section 1311(a) of ObamaCare provides an unlimited appropriation to the Health and Human Services Secretary to award grants to states for Exchanges. * Section 4002 essentially creates a $16 billion slush fund for the HHS Secretary to spend and $2 billion is appropriated to the Secretary per year in perpetuity after 2015. * Section 4101(a) allows $230 million in appropriation for school-based health centers. * Section 5508 appropriates $230 million for expanded primary care residency programs. * Section 2953 allocates $320 to Title XX-type education programs.

In the next two weeks, both parties in the House and Senate will engage in a showdown over funding of the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. We must win the battle on rescinding funds to ObamaCare. But if we do not fight, we cannot win. We must fight. Taxpayers are counting on us.